


A spell to break the silence

by somerandomperson



Series: Words for Inktober [4]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, Magic Revealed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-11
Updated: 2018-10-11
Packaged: 2019-07-29 15:14:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,356
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16266818
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/somerandomperson/pseuds/somerandomperson
Summary: It's just another day in Camelot, Arthur 's being attacked by bandits, Merlin is obviously using magic but thinking he's hiding it well and then there's the bog ...





	A spell to break the silence

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt 4 - spell
> 
> You would think that writing summaries would be easy but somehow it's not. 
> 
> I'm falling behind in both finishing and posting these (blame work) but i am determined to finish. So here is prompt number 4.

"Where is he?"

Morgana, Leon and Lancelot had been gathered around a map discussing the distribution of the year's harvest when the door banged open.

Arthur was stood in the door, hair streaked with mud and clothes soaked with dank water. He was breathing heavily and gripping the edge of the door frame.

The occupants of the room looked at him with varying responses from supreme indifference to shock.

"Sire" Leon looked up from the map he was studying and marched over "we have been looking for you everywhere".

"Are you ok" Lancelot moved to hover over Leon's shoulder

"Do I look ok?" Arthur said through his teeth.

"Let’s get you cleaned up" Gwen approached Arthur, hand's fluttering towards Arthur's torn sleeve.

Arthur raised his hands as if to brush them off. "Stop" Arthur took a deep breath. "Stop fussing and tell me where the hell he is"

Arthur was getting more and more red in the face as no one answered, just stood and cast awkward glances at each other.

"Er who" Gwen eventually volunteered.

"Who the hell do you think?" Arthur gestured to himself "who else would have the audacity to fling me into a bog?"

Morgana snorted into her hand.

"So er" Lancelot glanced at Morgana who was still covering her mouth with her hand "what prompted the, er, trip into the bog?"

"I was checking the security outposts out by the old river crossing when we were ambushed by bandits."

"Bandits? This far south?" Leon interrupted.

"Not important" Arthur snapped, "the point is that, that bloody manservant of mine instead of letting me handle a few idiots with blunt swords which" Arthur pointed at the crest on his doublet "I am well capable of dealing with".

Leon sighed heavily "or course you are sire".

Arthur narrowed his eyes at Leon but continued "he stood in front of me, he didn't have a weapon, told them that they should not try that here and that Camelot was defended."

"Well sire, he wasn't wrong".

Arthur glared at Lancelot who merely shrugged.

"Defended by me not some skinny manservant who isn't even carrying a weapon. Then one of them conjures a fireball thing because of course there's a sorcerer" Arthur started pacing up and down punctuating his story with arm gestures. "Then Merlin scoffs, actually scoffs in the man's face and just flings them all into the trees with a wave of his hand."

As Arthur paused, Gwen, Leon, Lancelot and Morgana all looked at each other

"So ..." Gwen fidgeted with the hem of her sleeve "how did the bog happen?"

"The sorcerer had sent the fireball towards me before Merlin dealt with them so instead of trusting me to, I don't know duck, he also pushed me out of the way."

"And into a bog?" Morgana added gleefully.

"Yes into the bloody bog Morgana" Arthur yelled, "the idiot just used his magic and shoved without thinking until I’m up to my neck in bog water and he's standing there like a moron, arm outstretched, and then he bolts. Leaving me to drag myself and my very heavy and water logged armour out of the damned bog." Arthur pulled his gloves off and they fell to the floor with a loud squelch. So where is the prick I want to watch his clean every stinking inch of my bog water, weed and mud off my armour"

Hands on hips Arthur turned towards his audience to find them frozen in shock. Morgana even looked a little pale. "What?"

Leon and Lancelot shared a look. At nudge Lancelot stepped forward slightly "Arthur, did you say" He looked back at Gwen who nodded "did you say magic?"

Arthur froze for a moment "well yes, there was a sorcerer...... so magic was involved".

Gwen shoved Lancelot again "I was sort of, you mentioned" Lancelot ran a hand through his hair "what I mean to say is...".

A loud clattering in the corridor outside preceded Merlin skidding to a halt just outside the door. The door was ajar only giving Merlin a glimpse of Lancelot.

"Lance thank gods... I made... a mistake I.... didn't think" Merlin bent over hands on knees, panting.

"Arthur" Lancelot said slowly emphasising each syllable.

"Yes....exactly.... Arthur" Merlin continued "he knows about me and... oh er" Merlin paused as Leon opened the door wider to reveal himself and Arthur with Gwen and Morgana in the background.

"You" Merlin said.

"You!" replied Arthur.

"How are you here?" Merlin said taking a step backwards.

"A chatty blacksmith with no regard for the highway code."

Merlin tilted his head "that would do it".

They all stood there for a moment looking at each other the only sound bog water dripping off Arthur.

"A BOG MERLIN" Arthur suddenly yelled, as if suddenly remembering what he was supposed to be annoyed with.

"IT HAPPENED QUICKLY, I DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO WORRY ABOUT CUSHIONING YOUR ROYAL ARSE" Merlin yelled back.

"I'M LITERALLY RUSTING AND SMELL LIKE A SEWER."

"WOULD YOU HAVE PREFERED TO BE LITERALLY TOAST."

"Are we not talking about the magic?" Leon asked.

"NO". Merlin went pale and took a step back "Arthur shouldn't find out like this".

"Find out?" Arthur huffed out "you think I didn't know?"

"You know" Merlin still looked like someone had smacked him about the head.

"OF COURSE I BLOODY WELL KNOW ABOUT THE MAGIC, YOU'RE AS SUBTLE AS A BRICK."

"You know" Merlin still looked stunned.

"Seriously how stupid do you think I am that I wouldn't notice?"

Merlin's mouth twitched at the edges.

"Merlin!" Arthur said folding his arms across his chest. The effect was lessened by the wet slop sound his doublet made as he moved.

Merlin's face twitched and he covered his mouth with his hand.

Arthur rolled his eyes in Leon and Lancelot's direction only to find everyone else standing staring at the two of them.

"You knew" Lancelot said.

"Yes for crying out loud" Arthur flung his hands in the air "does everyone here think I’m that much of an idiot?"

Lancelot, Leon and Gwen all stammered and stuttered answers, while Morgana collapsed into a chair laughing.

"Oh come on" Arthur grabbed Merlin and yanked him into the room closing the door behind him "of course I know. Merlin uses his magic for his job all the time. Half the time the broom is sweeping by itself." Everyone turned to look at Merlin who was looking a bit sheepish. "Last time we went to the market he magicked that child's toy back together after those bigger children broke it."

"You never said anything" Merlin said

"I thought we weren't talking about it, you know, as it's treasonous!" Arthur said exasperated.

"We all did" Leon said.

"You all knew" Merlin breathed out face breaking out in a smile.

"Obviously" said Morgana.

"Oh yes" Gwen said "if I hadn't before, the thing last week with horrible Sir Roland would have given you away". Everyone looked blankly at Gwen. "You know when he was yelling at that maid for supposedly bringing him the wrong drink, although that’s absolutely what he ordered, then mid-rant he managed to walk into that table and spill that platter over himself, despite being nowhere near the table a few minutes before." Gwen laughed "it was sweet, he's a nasty old goat".

"Goat" Morgana laughed out.

"Please" Gwen gave Morgana some serious side eye "like you didn't give Merlin your favourite silk scarf even though there was no normal way to get that stain out". Morgana looked unapologetic.

"So" Lance leant back against the table "we all know and we've all been keeping Merlin's secret, but thinking that no one else knew the secret".

Everyone nodded then burst out laughing at the absurdity of it all. Merlin leaned back against the door blinking away the tears watching everyone laugh with each other.

"Well" Arthur lifted his arms and pointedly looked at the water dripping onto the floor "as we all know, it would be a great time to show off your powers by dealing with this" Merlin laughed and reached out his hand "as you wish sire".


End file.
